The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-09-01
A DAY AT DEVILS LAKE, WIS.

LADIES. OF whom the WT1leT "dS one, BOARD
ed the C. d n. W. r. r. at little way
station and at $50 o'clock were landed at
Kirkland, Devils Lake. We had made
preparations to spend the day there, pro-
viding ourselves literally with luncheon,
work and books. 1t was a most beautiful
morning and the lovely little lake nestled
in between the high rocky cliffs, promis-
ed us ample enjoyment. Rumor claims
that the lake has no bottom, but like SO
many other rumors, this is false, as the
lake has been sounded and Is not very
deep.
After strolling around for some time
we met the gentleman In charge OF the
grounds. He invited us to his house,
offered us the use of it, and then proceed
ed to show us over the place. He very
kindly asked us to view the interior of
one of the summer cottages lining the
shore. This one had been vacated the
day before, to be occupied again on the
morrow. 1t consisted really only OF two
separate apartments, one kitchen and
pantry furnished with stove and the
necessary cooking utensils; the other
large-sized apartment, divided by cur
tains into a dining room and sleeping
room. 1t looked very neat and coy. At
the waters edge beautiful little row
boat was fastened, the sole property of
the occupants as long as they renamed.
Should they desire not to prepare their
own meals, there was the Cliff House,
hotel. a short distance away, ready to
furnish board to any or all.
On our informing our guide that we
intended to climb the cliffs, first on one
side then on the other, he seemed greatly
astonished, told us not to attempt 1t, that
the ascent would very greatly tire us, and
that we might meet with rattlesnakes,
as they are found there. But we were
determined to try, at least. He then
pointed out to us path that leads to the
foot of the quartz cliffs. After giving us
much advice and furnishing each of us
with a stout cane, he told us that he was
to lead party of biologists up the OPP
posite cliffs at eleven o'clock, and If we
had returned by that time and still deslr-
ed the climb, we might join the party.
We eagerly assented to tins proposition
and then left him.
We all admitted that the rattlesnake
would not be pleasant to meet, but we
soon overcome our timidity and scram-
bled over the rocks without fear. The
finest specimens of quartz were very large
and as we had no hammers we were obllg-
ed to depend for those we obtained most
ly on what Others had left, securing few
good crystals, however. Having ascend
ed the cliff half way and obtained as line
specimens of quartz as we were likely to
get, we began our descent, hoping to be
| in time to join the geological party. One
of our members slipped, lost her footing
and went down, down, stopping at last
on a broad, fat rock We hurried after
| her as rapidly as possible. She had
| bruised herself quite badly, but soon re-
| covered sufficiently to finish the descent
| with our help, and made us promise to
| say nothing of the accident. We endeav-
| ored to convince her that it would be bet
! ter for us to give up the ascent OF the
| other cliff, but no, she was pure grit
| and would not be persuaded to give up
| the undertaking. When we reached the
homo of our newly se,.I s-;--S we ~r-~>
told that the party had already started.
! We therefore decided to have our dinner
| before following them. This over, one
| member of the family accompanied us
| partly on our way. What seemed to sur
| prise these good people most was the
| fact that three poor, lone, unprotected
| females would climb cliffs, and two OF
them on warm July day. They assur-
ed us repeatedly that other excursionlsts
| did not do So But we had planned our
| trip and meant to have our way.
At first our path was very easy; then
| it began to grow sleeper, with loose
| stones ready to fall the instant our canes
touched them. We sometimes had hard
work to obtain a foot-hold. We lost all
traces of the path and continued up, up,
up, occasionally resting in convenient
| spot. On reaching the top we felt fully
| repaid for our trouble. The view before
us was superb. At our feet and stretch
| ing to the right for some distance IN q
curve, were the highest cliffs, composed
| Of quartzite, inaccessible in places with
evergreens growing in the crevices of the
| rocks. Just beyond the lake lay spark
ling in the sun; while on the opposite side
| appeared cliffs similar to these we had
! just assembled,
While admiring the view we noticed a
train of cars passing below. 1t appeared
| to us to be about the size of a child's toy
| We soon fell in with our geological
| party but did not remain with them long
as we preferred to continue our stroll by
ourselves. We came upon many places
| of interest, THE Devils Chimney" fol-
one, two large columns of rock rising
many feet higher than the surrounding
cliffs. After some time spent in roaming
about we descended, this time without
| accident.
A rest was now in order. But the at
fractions of the lake proved stronger than
| those of hammocks and books, and He
we're soon enjoying a row in a fine little
boat, keeping close to the shores that we
might the better enjoy the scenery. After
an hours ride we returned, lunched un-
| der the trees, loaded our baskets with our
specimens, said goodbye to our kind
| friends and were soon whirled away to-
ward home, arriving there at dusk, three
tired but very happy girls, each enthusi-
astic over the days trip. ~
DON'T EXPERIMENT.
You cannot afford to waste time in